15-Year-Old Volunteer Louisiana Firefighter Killed In Car Accident; En Route To Call
"It was what he wanted to do and what he wanted to be."
According to Chief Blaine Judice of the Duson Volunteer Fire Department, that was what he remembers about Josh Martin, 15, a member of their Junior Firefighter Program who died in a vehicle crash responding mutual aid to a traffic accident.
Judice said they were working at a member's house June 19, when the call for another local department came in about 5 p.m. Martin hopped into fellow firefighter Carl Landry's SUV and headed to the station to take their apparatus out. The police reports said Landry lost control of his SUV, spinning and slamming into another vehicle.
Assistant Chief Daniel Lavergne was first on the scene and found the SUV in a water-filled ditch. He was able to hold Landry's head out of the water until other firefighters were able to complete the extrication. Landry's injuries include broken and fractured bones in the wrist, pelvic and back areas.
Martin was one of four in the junior program that Chief Judice started. It allowed the youth to travel to incidents to help out but not to put on gear for entering fire scenes. Martin's brother, Larry Isadore is a member of the department.
Chief Judice said they would be providing a full firefighter funeral for Martin, "with an honor guard, bag pipes, the whole nine yards."
The Duson VFD has 22 members on its roster in two stations in Lafayette Parrish.
The funeral is planned for June 24 at 11 a.m. at the Syrie Funeral Home in Lafayette. Internment will follow at St. Basile.
Donations for the memorial fund may be sent to: In Memory of Junior Firefighter Martin, C/o Duson Volunteer Fire Department, P.O. Box 427, Duson, LA 70529
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